Summer (May – August) is the most popular time to move, and with that move comes lots of decisions, worries and stressful moments. There will be lots of details that parents need to focus on such as finding a new place to live, packing up and then unpacking your home, making travel arrangements, disconnecting and reconnecting all your utilities, and so on, all of which will create stress but at the same time our children will also feel stress during this time of transition. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states, “moving to a new community may be one of the most stress-producing experiences a family faces” and in fact “even a single move can be especially hard on children and adolescents.” The reason for this is that while as adults we tend to focus, and stress, about the planning and execution of the move (concrete actions), children tend to feel stress and anxiety focused on the disruption of their routine and the unknown changes of the move. For preverbal children (preschoolers and toddlers) this can often result in regressive behaviors such as bed-wetting, or they may become very clingy. Even older, verbal, children may still lack the ability to put into words the anxiety and worries causing in them being withdrawn. And for children of all ages the disruptions that are created by a move can affect sleep. With my own family in the middle of a coast-to-coast move I can personally attest to all of this. Before, during and after your move you may find that the stress of the move impacts your child’s sleep habits. Your child may start having nightmares, want you to stay with while they fall asleep or even lay down with them, or they may wake more frequently. If you child naps you may experience short naps or they may skip naps. While you cannot take all of their stress and anxiety about the move away there are some things that you can do to help make this transition easier on them and to help keep them well rested. For babies a move is usually not a problem. Sticking with their usual routine and keeping their comfort objects (such as their lovey, their usual sleepsack and their crib sheets) should be enough to help them stay calm during the move. For older children it helps to talk through the move, clearly explaining the changes that are coming and allowing them to participate in and take ownership of some of the changes that will happen, such as arranging their new room. Keeping them informed, listening to them, and letting them be involved will help ease their transitionYounger children (toddlers and preschoolers) often have a more difficult time with a move because they are not able to communicate their worries with you so it is important to help them with this transition. Here are some tips to help with younger children:

Just like with older children it is important to talk through and explain to them what will be changing (be sure to keep the language simple and do this even if you child is not talking yet because they still understand all that you say).

Get them involved! Letting them be involved in the packing process by either putting things in a box or even decorating the boxes allows them to feel more comfortable with the changes.

Allow your child to say goodbye to their empty house. This helps them with closure. And make sure that they are able to say goodbye to any special friends they may have.

Once you get to your new home focus on setting up their new bedroom. Do not make any changes to their room right away and instead bring their old furniture, bedding, etc. Create a calm environment for their first night in their new home. Show them where your room is and reassure them that you will be close by.

Try to keep the first few weeks in your new home as calm and as low key as possible. This allows everyone to settle in and allows them to go back to their normal routine, which in turn will create a sense of comfort and security.